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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25007914">rose quartz and serenity: a love story</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chewhy/pseuds/chewhy'>chewhy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work, SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Canon Non-Binary Character, Colors, Gen, Other, Photography, not a typical seventeen fanfic i guess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:16:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,538</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25007914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chewhy/pseuds/chewhy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Quartz always knew Serenity. Of course she did. They grew up together, living in the same neighborhood, waving when they’d see each other biking, jogging, skating, walking a dog around the cul-de-sac. They rode the same bus, and Rose Quartz could always hear Serenity at the back of the bus, cracking jokes, being teased whenever they fell asleep and their classmates drew whiskers on their face with markers.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rose Quartz/Serenity, Rose Quartz/Serenity (Seventeen)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>rose quartz and serenity: a love story</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>okay i know this is DEFINITELY not a typical seventeen fanfiction, and i guess i should warn before you go in that seventeen members don't actually show up, but this was a piece of writing that was inspired by them, their music, their concepts, and all of that so... hope you enjoy it :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz always knew Serenity. Of course she did. They grew up together, living in the same neighborhood, waving when they’d see each other biking, jogging, skating, walking a dog around the cul-de-sac. They rode the same bus, and Rose Quartz could always hear Serenity at the back of the bus, cracking jokes, being teased whenever they fell asleep and their classmates drew whiskers on their face with markers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could hear them when they got introspective, watching as they pressed their fingers and nose against the window, watching the cookie cutter houses of their suburban neighborhood pass by faster and faster until they were a blur. “Do you think we’ll get out of here someday, get to the city, make it big in this world?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Crimson would laugh at them, cracking his knuckles and flexing an arm, “I’m already halfway there, baby,” as the others would groan at the excessive overconfidence. Thankfully he had Indigo, ready to cuff him upside the back of the head whenever his ego inflated too much for the little space of the world they grew up in.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So yes, Rose Quartz always knew Serenity. But she never really </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> Serenity. They never shared many classes, didn’t sit together at lunch. They were friendly, but they weren’t friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which is why when she turns around after locking her front door on an early Thursday morning, she lets out a little, “Eep!” when she bumps into something solid, looking up into Serenity’s eyes. When Serenity says nothing, just looking down at her with round, pale blue eyes, Rose Quartz fidgets from one foot to the other, finally speaking up when the awkward tension oozing through the atmosphere becomes too much for her. “Hi, Serenity.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that, Serenity smiles, showing all of their teeth as their head knocks back, neck stretching as they laugh, the sound breaking the stillness of dawn that Rose Quartz usually enjoys. “I never knew you could get any pinker than you already are,” they say, poking at Rose Quartz’s cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz rubbs at her face, grumbling as she avoids eye contact and finally, Serenity takes a step back so their little bubbles are no longer pressing together so tightly. “I have a favor to ask of you,” Serenity speaks up. “I figured you would be awake at this time because, well, I’ve seen you walking around the neighborhood sometimes in the mornings, before the bus comes or even the old people are awake, and none of my friends are much of early risers, but there’s something that I’ve always wanted to do–”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz giggles at the sight of a flustered Serenity. This just might be the first time she’s ever seen them like this – usually cool, calm, collected Serenity is babbling and stammering over their words. “Okay. I’m in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“– and I know it’s pretty early but up in the mountains– wait, what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said I’m in. Whatever it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if I’m trying to kidnap you and leave your body in a ditch in the woods?” Serenity asks, face somehow completely innocent even as they suggest such a brutally violent action. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz boops them gently on the nose, “It’s okay. You’ve met my dad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Serenity shudders for a second, remembering Rose Quartz’s hulking father and nods sincerely. “Right. Well, it’s a short drive away but there’s somewhere I always wanted to visit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz looks down the driveway to see Serenity’s beat up car parked up against the curb, engine still idling. It’s not so flashy, and definitely old but he’s one of the few in the neighborhood who actually has a car of his own. She wonders why he rides the bus anyways, but quickly brushes the thought out of her mind as she runs down the driveway, calling behind her, “I call shotgun!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Serenity blinks after her, laughing as they slowly pick their way around the candy cane decorations that Rose Quartz never took down from months ago, “You do realize that there’s nobody to call shotgun against, RQ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Most of the drive is silent, the gentle strumming of guitar strings harmonizing with the hum of the road as they listen to a CD Serenity had labeled, “partly cloudy spring day at the buttcrack of dawn vibe”. Half of the mixtape is just Hozier and Rose Quartz lets a little breath of air escape her nose in what could almost be considered a laugh as she notices Serenity tapping their fingers on the wheel, humming along off-key. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they stop at a red light, Serenity glances her way, catching her smile and asks, “Penny for your thoughts?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz hums in consideration, letting the silence lapse long enough for the light to turn to green, listening to the crunch of the wheels as they make a left turn. “Why RQ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And here I thought you would ask where we’re going.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I already know where we’re going,” Rose Quartz shrugs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Serenity only raises one eyebrow at her, and she smiles, pointing in front of them, “Eyes on the road. And we’re going up the mountains, aren’t we? It’s the best place to enjoy the sunrise this time of year.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Serenity nods, “You should be a detective, with those critical thinking skills.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz huffs another breath through her nose, nudging their shoulder, “So? Why RQ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I dunno. Maybe Rose Quartz is just a mouthful?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re the same number of syllables.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, you got me. I’ll just call you R then. That feels a little empty though. QR? Like QR code?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz groans, “Anything but that, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright. RQ it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’re silent for the rest of the few minutes of the drive, finally rolling to a stop at the overhang that looks over their little town. The drive isn’t too long, but as Rose Quartz looks down at the tiny houses and buildings that dot the expanse in front of them, she feels so far away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Serenity steps in next to her, but instead of looking down at the town, they look up at the sky, bumping Rose Quartz’s shoulder. “Look.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz does, and she gasps. She’s always liked to be outside for sunrises and sunsets, camera in hand as she captures the gentle glow of the rising sun, but it never fails to take her breath away each time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Serenity points at the sliver of the waxing crescent in the sky. “That’s my dad,” they say and Rose Quartz pauses, looking to her side and taking Serenity’s profile. They look the same as always, calm and expressionless, but she can see the slightest bit of sadness and longing that’s reflected in their eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” she says, seeing the way that, even now she can see Silver reflected on Serenity’s face, leaving his touch and memory behind, mixed with hope and potential even if everyone in town knows the story of how he died. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Serenity laughs then, though it’s softer, not the same laugh that Rose Quartz usually hears booming from their chest. “Don’t say it like that. Don’t. I want to remember </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not… not that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz swallows, “Of course.” She hesitates, tempted to reach out a comforting hand or pat his shoulder, but stops short. For whatever reason, she lifts her camera in front of her face, capturing the stillness of the dawn, the way lights are beginning to blink on in the various residences below one by one, the way the pink rays of the sun blend into the blue of the sky above. She turns and lets the shutter open and close, capturing Serenity’s face, eyes closed as they breathe in and out, head turned up to the sky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They blink at the sound turning and looking back at her in surprise, mouth shaping a little “o” as they take in the camera in her hands. She captures that too, giggling at the shot. Letting the camera fall back to her chest, she turns back to the scene in front of them. “I like to take pictures of the landscape. That’s why I’m always up so early,” she explains. She’s blushing again, she can feel the heat across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose and prays that Serenity won’t be mad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of hearing a response, though, she feels something brush her hand and looks down to see their pinkies linked. “Oh,” she says for the second time that day, and blushing harder whips her head up to stare harder at the landscape as if something will make itself known to her that way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stand like that for a while, until the sun is higher in the sky and all pinks and reds and oranges have been chased away by an expansive blue, stretching as far as they can see. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that morning, Rose Quartz steps onto the bus and makes eye contact with Serenity where they sit in their usual spot at the back of the bus. They smile at each other, and Serenity winks, holding eye contact until they’re jostled in the side by Crimson’s arms waving as he tells a story. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose Quartz sits and the bus moves forward, taking them onward with the rest of their lives. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>photos by author</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Perhaps, to be continued...</p><p>find me on [<a href="https://twitter.com/wo17nu">twitter</a>] and [<a href="http://2jaepg.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>]!<br/><b>kudos and comments always appreciated!!!<br/></b><br/> </p><p>  <a href="https://ko-fi.com/R6R27QMR">Buy Me a Coffee!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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